Pronunciation

/lʌmp/

Definitions

• Noun (n): A rounded mass of solid matter without a definite shape, often formed by fusion or concretion. For example: “She found a small lump of coal in the mine.”

  • Also, a swelling or protuberance on a body part, often indicating an injury or illness. For example: “The doctor examined the painful lump on her arm.”
  • In informal contexts, it can refer to a large amount of something considered as a whole, not separated into parts. Example: “There’s a lump sum of money in the bank.”

• Verb (v): To form into a lump or lumps; to gather together without precise shaping. Example: “She lumped all her books into one bag.”

  • Also used informally to mean to put or group together indiscriminately. Example: “They just lumped all the problems under one category.”

Phrases

• “A lump in one’s throat”: A feeling of tightness or obstruction in the throat due to strong emotions such as sadness or nostalgia.
• “Take it with a grain of salt/lump of sugar”: To accept something but maintain a degree of skepticism about its truth or accuracy.

Example Sentences

• Noun: “The baker kneaded the dough until no more lumps remained.”
• Verb: “He decided to lump all his debts together and pay them off in one go.”

Synonyms

• Mass
• Clump
• Knob
• Swelling
• Protuberance
• Agglomeration (for the noun meaning a gathered mass)
• Combine (for the verb meaning to group together)